Mei Miyamoto went 3-0 in 2025 and captured her first title. Dominated South Korea's Minju Cha in January. Then came the marquee matchup, a five-round war against Arina Kobayashi, the reigning champion and 2023 Female Fighter of the Year. Miyamoto took the RISE Mini Flyweight crown via split decision with an extension round. Capped off her year with a clean win over Ko Yuna in October at RISE 192. Undefeated. Title holder. The female kickboxer running Tokyo. That's why Mei Miyamoto is the kickboxer of the year.